EDITORIAL: The Trending Fifteen!
- Kudos To Those Who Stayed Faithful
The fifteen members of the Nigerian Senate who aligned themselves with the overwhelming position of their fellow citizens and voted for the mandatory transmission of the results of elections have done a patriotic duty and must be commended for their steadfastness.
In a dismal transfer season of shifting alliances based on opportunism, to quote the American soul singer Otis Redding, they have brought “ sunshine on a cloudy day “.
For the historical records, their names are: The 15 senators who voted for the mandatory real-time transmission clause are:
1) Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central)
2) Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South)
3) Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central)
4) Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South)
5) Ireti Kingibe (ADC, FCT)
6) Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West)
7) Onawo Ogwoshi (ADC, Nasarawa South)
8) Tony Nwoye (ADC, Anambra North)
9) Victor Umeh (ADC, Anambra Central)
10) Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe Central)
11) Austin Akobundu (PDP, Abia Central)
12) Khalid Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna North)
13) Sikayo Yaro (PDP, Gombe South)
14) Emmanuel Nwachukwu (APGA, Anambra South)
15) Peter Jiya (PDP, Niger South).
It is a ray of hope in a dismal season . Their valiant effort justifies the position of people such as Senator Abaribe that every vote taking in the legislative arena must be accounted for. This position has now been vindicated and it is to be hoped now an established precedence.
We certainly hope so for the “ayes have it…” charade so beloved by the current Senate President Godswill Akpabio represents an attempt to airbrush history and deny the public as well as the archives of the primary source so vitally needed to preserve institutional memory and to guard and guide the future.
For example, if Akpabio had presided over the Senate of the United States there would have been no record to enlighten us as to how individual Senators voted on the pivotal Gulf of Tonkin resolution which gave the President of the United States unlimited powers to extend the war on Vietnam with predictably disastrous results .
The two Senators who voted against Albert Gore of Tennessee and Wayne Morse of Oregon have today been richly vindicated by history. Our own magnificent fifteen will also be on the right side of history for their position is just .
The Bill has been passed into law in a very hurried manner
Nevertheless, there should be no room for pessimism as we are in dire straits and the only acceptable way out is through the ballot box. Civil society must out-organize tyranny, insist on massive voter turnout, and demand that all votes be correctly counted.
In this season of religious renewal, we must not let our hearts be troubled; we must stand up and defend democracy.
- Briefly …..
The carnage in Idanre town, Ondo State, must be taken as a clear forewarning as we approach the election season with off-cycle governorship elections already looming in Osun and Ekiti States.
We must now be proactive. For a start, there must be deterrence. Those who organize events that lead to violence and deaths must accept responsibility and face the consequences. No party must be exempted.
There should also be policing guidelines on the security landscape at events and, vitally, the provision of health facilities, very much like we already have stadia and event centres.
The country already has security issues and it must not be compounded as the polity heats up
